Give us courage to take our stand with all victims of bloodshed and greed,

and, following your servants and prophets, to look to the pioneer and perfecter of our faith,

your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

—Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 45

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The Assigned Readings:

Joshua 7:1, 10-26 (Thursday)

1 Samuel 5:1-12 (Friday)

1 Samuel 6:1-16 (Saturday)

Psalm 82 (All Days)

Hebrews 10:26-31 (Thursday)

Hebrews 10:32-39 (Friday)

Matthew 24:15-27 (Saturday)

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God takes his stand in the divine assembly,

surrounded by the gods he gives judgement.

–Psalm 82:1, The New Jerusalem Bible (1985)

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In 1 Samuel 5 and 6 Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant, which proved to be more than they knew how to handle. Idols bowed down to the Ark. The Ashdodites came down with what was most likely venereal disease, although other translations include hemorrhoids and the bubonic plague. The Philistines returned the Ark promptly.

God is more than we mere mortals can handle or contain. Some of our theological propositions are true (at least partially), but the combination of these does not equal the truth of God. There is always a glorious mystery of divinity; one should accept and embrace it. We ought to persevere in faith and good works, especially when doing so is difficult. Doing the right thing during good times is easy, and every day is a good day for faith and good works. Yet keeping faith during challenging times is when, as an old saying tells us, the rubber meets the road. When we fail, we have an obligation to express remorse and to repent.

Writing these words and creating this post is easy. Living these words is more difficult, however. I have to work on that task daily. The results vary from day to day and from time of day to time of day. To keep trying is crucial. To do so while trusting in God, who is always somewhat mysterious, and in the existence of grace makes succeeding more likely.

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

MARCH 23, 2016 COMMON ERA

WEDNESDAY IN HOLY WEEK

THE FEAST OF GEORGE RUNDLE PRYNNE, ANGLICAN PRIEST, POET, AND HYMN WRITER

THE FEAST OF SAINT GREGORY THE ILLUMINATOR, PATRIARCH OF ARMENIA

THE FEAST OF HEINRICH VON LAUFENBERG, GERMAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER

THE FEAST OF SAINT TURIBIUS OF MOGROVEJO, ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF LIMA

Blessed Lord, who caused all holy scriptures to be written for our learning:

Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,

that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life,

which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ;

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

–The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236

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The Assigned Readings:

1 Samuel 4:1-22 (July 21)

1 Samuel 5:1-6:3, 10-16 (July 22)

1 Samuel 6:19-7:17 (July 23)

Psalm 19 (Morning–July 21)

Psalm 136 (Morning–July 22)

Psalm 123 (Morning–July 23)

Psalms 81 and 113 (Evening–July 21)

Psalms 97 and 112 (Evening–July 22)

Psalms 30 and 86 (Evening–July 23)

Acts 16:23-40 (July 21)

Acts 18:1-11, 23-28 (July 22)

Acts 19:1-22 (July 23)

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The Ark of the Covenant was a mysterious and fearsome object. It was, in the minds of some Israelites, the presence of God made tangible. So, of course, they reasoned, its presence at a battlefield would guarantee military victory against the Philistine forces. Wrong! Yet God was not defeated. Humiliations befell an idol of Dagon. And, according to the narrative, Bubonic Plague befell many Philistines. Eventually the Philistines returned the Ark, but those who had looked into the sacred object died.

This story, which I have kept unified across The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod’s daily lectionary of 2006’s daily divisions, contains some troubling aspects. Would a loving God give anyone Bubonic Plague? (The internal evidence, down to tumors and rodents, indicates Bubonic Plague.) And the element of death for looking into the Ark indicates a God concept foreign to me, a Christian. God, for me, is approachable; what is more approachable than the Incarnation? Chronology aside, I reject the idea that God had a personality transplant. We are, I propose, dealing with changing human understandings.

Speaking of changing human understandings, I have caused some controversy in college classrooms in Georgia (U.S.A.) when teaching World Civilization I by pointing out that lived Judaism used to be polytheistic. This fact of history should come as no surprise to anyone who has studied the Old Testament (including 1 Samuel 7) and/or biblical archaeology and/or ancient comparative religion. But some people become irrational, defensive, and oblivious to facts relative to religion; this is an unfortunate tendency. I have nothing to fear from a verified fact about ancient theology. Anyhow, Samuel was correct in 1 Samuel 7:3:

If you mean to return to the LORD with all your heart, you must remove the alien gods and the Ashteroth from your midst and direct your heart to the LORD and serve him alone….

—TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures

Paul, Silas, and Timothy served God alone. Along the way they suffered beatings, imprisonments, and a lawsuit. They also founded churches, converted people, and encountered fellow Christians who helped them. The hand of God, which the Philistines could not defeat, also triumphed over the forces opposed to Paul and company.

Being on God’s side does not mean that no hardships will befall one. Eli had to suffer the loss of his sons. And Paul and company had to cope with the aforementioned difficulties, among others. Also, not being on God’s side does not mean that one will face an unbroken series of hardships. But, when one is on God’s side, one will never be alone in those difficulties; the hand of God will never be far away.